State of Oklahoma touts business of equestrian coach banned for sexual misconduct

Coaches who have been banned for sexual misconduct are still coaching kids, taking advantage of significant gaps in a system the USOC has vowed to fix.
USA TODAY

Randy Cates, who was banned by the U.S. Equestrian Federation in 2015 for sexual misconduct with a teenage rider, watches a rider during an event in June in Shelbyville, Ky.(Photo: Scott Utterback, Courier Journal)

The state of Oklahoma has been promoting the horse-riding business of a coach who was banned for life by the U.S. Equestrian Federation in 2015 for sexual misconduct with a teenage rider.

The coach, Randy Cates, is a longtime horse trainer who has operated Cross Creek Stables in Edmond, a business that offers riding lessons, barns shows and camps for children. The state of Oklahoma, through its tourism and recreation department, has been helping it drum up business by airing a video segment about Cross Creek Stables as part of its “Discover Oklahoma” programming to promote state tourism.

“The next time you’re looking for something different, something fun to do with the family, you come here to north Oklahoma City, Cross Creek Stables, hang out with the horses,” says the video on the state tourism department website.

A spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department said the department had not been aware of the lifetime ban imposed on Cates. A USA TODAY investigation published last week found that such lack of awareness about banned coaches is not unusual, largely because the lists of banned coaches are not widely publicized or easily accessed.

“Mr. Cates was not featured in the (state tourism) story, and the show had no dealings with him during the interview process,” said the tourism department spokeswoman, Leslie Blair. “Discover Oklahoma wanted to air a segment about horseback riding in the OKC Metro area, and a freelance journalist suggested the location. … Our legal counsel will advise us on how best to move forward.”

A person familiar with the Cates’ case shared a letter with USA TODAY Sports that was addressed to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department in May asking it to consider retracting the segment. The person did not want to be identified because of the sensitivity of the situation. It’s not clear if the department received it.

The letter asked Discover Oklahoma to “consider its responsibilities to the public that rely on its segments to provide information about wholesome and safe family activities.”

Blair said that Cross Creek Stables did not pay for the segment. Discover Oklahoma is funded through an apportionment of sales and use taxes dedicated for the purpose of travel promotion and marketing.

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The US Equestrian ban does not have jurisdiction over non-members, such as private businesses. But as the national governing body of the sport, it publishes its list of banned coaches on its website for the benefit of parents and the public. With Cates, USA TODAY’S investigation also found that he had been participating at regional horse shows in recent years even though US Equestrian said his ban should have barred him from doing so. Like other banned coaches found by USA TODAY, Cates was violating his ban openly.

And in his case, the state of Oklahoma also was helping direct traffic to his barn by airing the promotional video on television, on YouTube and on its website.

US Equestrian gave Cates its first-ever lifetime ban after its hearing committee determined he had engaged in a multi-year grooming pattern that included “thousands” of sexualized text messages with a female rider under his authority and sexual relations when the girl was 16 or 17 and Cates was in his mid-40s.

Asked for comment previously, Cates said the “the supposed victim testified that the alleged acts did not occur” and referred USA TODAY to her attorney. That attorney issued a statement for her saying she denies the allegations and that “the numerous texts were fabricated.”

However, the hearing committee didn’t find that same defense credible because of the technological improbability of fabricating that many text messages, testimony from her parents and corroborating material in the girl’s journal. The girl did not cooperate with police, her father said, and no criminal charges were filed.

Cross Creek Stables and its related property has been owned or controlled by Cates, according to property records and online accounts in his name. The Facebook page for Cross Creek Stables in May said the business was “under the direction of Randy Cates.” His name since has been removed from that description.